Can you book multiple hotels or destinations on Expedia? Answer is – While Expedia doesn’t offer a traditional one-click “multi-city” package builder, you can absolutely book multiple hotels for different destinations within a single trip itinerary. This allows you to plan a customized itinerary and manage your bookings all in one place.
Summary
- Expedia allows users to book multiple hotels in different locations for a single trip.
- There is no dedicated “multi-city” trip feature, but the process is still streamlined.
- You can search for and add hotels individually to build your own multi-stop itinerary.
- Expedia’s platform makes it easy to manage and track your multiple hotel reservations.
Is Expedia the Best Way to Book Multiple Hotels
The world is a vast and exciting place, brimming with diverse cultures, stunning natural landscapes, and iconic historical landmarks. It’s no wonder that many travelers yearn to break away from the traditional single-destination vacation and embrace the allure of multi-city or multi-destination trips.
Whether it’s hopping between vibrant European capitals, island-hopping through the Caribbean, or exploring the ancient wonders and bustling cities of Asia, the thrill of experiencing multiple destinations in a single journey is undeniable.
To facilitate these multifaceted adventures, online travel agencies like Expedia have refined their booking platforms. While Expedia doesn’t offer a traditional “multi-city” package builder, its intuitive interface and expansive inventory make it incredibly easy to customize an itinerary that takes you to all the places you’ve dreamed of.
The Allure of Multi-Destination Travel
Maximize Your Time: With limited vacation days, multi-destination trips allow you to squeeze the most out of your precious time. Instead of focusing on a single location, you can sample the highlights of several cities or regions.
Experience Diverse Cultures: Embarking on a multi-stop itinerary lets you immerse yourself in a variety of cultures, cuisines, and ways of life. This can broaden your perspective and create a richer, more memorable travel experience.
Create Unique Adventures: Multi-destination trips offer a level of personalization that single-destination vacations often lack. You can mix bustling metropolises with quaint villages, combine beach escapes with mountain retreats, or delve into a region’s history across multiple historic sites.
Expedia’s Approach: Flexibility is Key
Expedia recognizes the importance of flexibility when it comes to multi-destination travel. Their platform is not focused on rigid multi-city packages; instead, it empowers you to build your dream itinerary step-by-step.
This approach ensures you have full control over your destinations, accommodation choices, and the overall pace of your trip.
How to Book Multiple Hotels on Expedia
Expedia’s streamlined booking process makes planning a dynamic multi-destination trip surprisingly easy. Let’s break down the steps involved:
1. Searching for Your First Hotel
Navigate to Expedia: Head to the Expedia website. You’ll find their user-friendly interface ready to guide you through your booking journey.
Choose the Stays Tab: Focus on the “Stays” tab, as this is where you’ll search for and book your accommodations.
Enter Your Initial Destination and Dates: Input the city or region of your first stop. Next, specify your check-in and check-out dates for this location.
Indicate Guests and Rooms: Make sure to include the total number of guests and how many rooms you’ll require.
Hit Search: Click the “Search” button to let Expedia do its magic and find you the perfect hotel options for the first leg of your trip.
2. Adding Additional Hotels to Your Itinerary
Select Your Ideal First Hotel: Browse the search results, comparing prices, amenities, star-ratings, and guest reviews. Once you’ve settled on your preferred hotel for your first destination, click on it to view more details.
Don’t Book Just Yet: Now, while you may be tempted to book right away, hold on! Since you’re planning a multi-stop itinerary, you’ll want to build out the rest of your hotel stays before finalizing anything.
Repeat the Search Process: Return to the “Stays” search tab and input the details for your second destination, along with the corresponding dates. Search for hotels that fit your criteria for the next stop in your adventure.
Build Your Itinerary: Continue this process for each destination you wish to include. Essentially, you’re creating a virtual itinerary of desired hotels across the different locations you’ll be visiting.
3. Reviewing and Finalizing Your Bookings
Review Your Itinerary: Once you have all your desired hotels lined up, it’s time for a thorough review. Expedia makes it easy to see the hotels you’ve been considering and their respective dates, ensuring your multi-destination plan is exactly how you envisioned it.
Make Adjustments: If needed, feel free to modify your itinerary, search for different hotel options, or change destinations altogether. Expedia’s flexibility is your friend!
Booking Time: When you’re happy with your itinerary, it’s time to secure your bookings for each hotel. Expedia will guide you through the checkout process individually for each selected property.
Payment and Confirmation: Provide your payment information and confirm each booking. You’ll receive individual email confirmations with all the essential details for each hotel reservation.
Can You Book Other Travel Components for a Multi-Destination Trip?
1. Flights for Multiple Legs of a Trip
Expedia boasts a robust flight booking engine alongside its extensive hotel inventory. Here’s how to book those multi-leg flights:
The Flights Tab: Navigate to the “Flights” tab on the Expedia homepage.
Multi-City Option: Crucially, instead of a traditional roundtrip search, select the “Multi-city” option. This is designed specifically for itineraries with multiple stops.
Input Your Flight Legs: Expedia lets you add up to six flight segments. Provide the departure and arrival cities for each leg of your journey, along with the desired dates.
Search and Review: Hit “Search” and let Expedia present you with flight options that match your multi-destination plan. Carefully compare prices, airlines, and flight durations.
Book Your Flights: Once you’ve settled on the best itinerary, proceed with the booking process for your multi-city flights.
Tips
- One-Way Advantage: Sometimes, booking individual one-way flights for each leg can be more cost-effective than a packaged multi-city fare. Expedia lets you experiment with both options.
- Mix and Match Airlines: Don’t feel restricted to a single airline for your entire journey. You might find better deals or more convenient flight schedules by flying with different carriers across different legs.
2. Car Rentals for Separate Locations
If your multi-destination trip involves road travel within a specific region, Expedia has you covered with car rentals:
The Cars Tab: Switch over to the “Cars” tab on Expedia’s website.
Location and Dates: Specify the city or airport where you want to pick up your rental car and enter your pick-up and drop-off dates.
Search and Filter: Explore the available options, using filters for car type, rental company, and price to find the ideal vehicle for your needs.
Repeat as Needed: For multi-destination trips, you might need to rent cars in several locations. Repeat this car rental search process as many times as required for each segment of your trip where you plan to drive.
3. Activities and Excursions at Each Destination
Spice up your multi-destination itinerary with local experiences. Expedia offers a wide range of activities to pre-book:
The Things to Do Tab: Discover the “Things to Do” tab on the Expedia website.
Destination Search: Enter the city where you’re eager to find activities. Specify your dates to see what’s available.
Explore and Book: From guided tours and museum tickets to adrenaline-pumping adventures and cooking classes, Expedia’s selection is vast. Browse, compare, and book the experiences that pique your interest.
Benefits of Using Expedia for Multiple Hotel Bookings
1. Centralized Trip Management
One of the most significant benefits of using Expedia for multi-destination travel is the convenience of having your entire itinerary consolidated in one place. Here’s why this simplification matters:
One-Stop-Shop: Instead of juggling reservations across different hotel websites or booking platforms, Expedia becomes your centralized hub for managing your multi-stop journey.
Essential Information at Your Fingertips: Easily access your booking confirmations, hotel details, addresses, contact numbers, and any additional notes you might have added – all within your Expedia account.
Track Your Itinerary: Expedia lets you visualize your travel plans clearly, reducing the risk of miscommunications or logistical errors that can arise from managing bookings across multiple sites.
2. Potential Bundled Discounts (Flight + Hotel)
Expedia is famous for its bundled deals, and these savings can truly add up when you’re planning a multi-destination trip.
Package Power: When you book flights and hotels together, Expedia often unlocks special discounts that wouldn’t be available if you booked these travel components separately.
The Savings Add Up: While the discount percentage can vary, these savings make a tangible difference for travelers with multiple hotel stays on their itinerary.
Flexibility: Even if you don’t book your flights through Expedia, you might still be able to snag bundle discounts if you reserve multiple hotels within the same booking process.
3. Access to Expedia’s Vast Hotel Inventory
Expedia partners with an enormous network of hotels worldwide, catering to diverse travel styles and budgets. This translates to outstanding choice when planning multi-stop trips:
Find Your Perfect Fit: Whether you seek luxurious resorts, boutique hotels in city centers, family-friendly properties, or budget-conscious options, Expedia’s inventory has something for everyone.
Comparison Made Easy: Expedia’s user-friendly interface lets you compare prices, amenities, star-ratings, and guest reviews side-by-side. This takes the guesswork out of choosing the best hotels at each of your destinations.
Hidden Gems: Beyond the big hotel chains, Expedia can help you discover unique independent properties that offer a more local and immersive experience.
What Does “Multi-City” Booking Mean on Other Sites?
On travel websites that offer this feature, a “multi-city” booking option is usually a streamlined tool specifically designed for itineraries that involve two or more destinations. Unlike booking each leg of your trip separately, these tools let you input your entire journey in one go.
Typical Structure of a Multi-City Booking Tool
- Dedicated Search Section: Look for a tab or section clearly labeled “Multi-city.”
- Multiple Flight Segments: You’ll find fields to add each leg of your travel, including departure and arrival cities, along with the corresponding dates. Most tools allow for up to six or more flight segments.
- Integrated Results: After inputting your itinerary, the tool searches for flights (and potentially hotels or car rentals) that align with your entire journey, often providing packaged prices or special multi-city fares.
Tips and Considerations
1. Planning Your Itinerary Carefully to Avoid Unnecessary Travel Time
Map it Out: Visualize your multi-destination trip on a map or use online planning tools to plot your desired destinations. This helps identify potential logistical bottlenecks or unnecessary backtracking.
Smart Sequencing: Optimize your itinerary to minimize travel time between destinations. Look for logical routes and try to group destinations that are geographically close to minimize wasted hours in transit.
Travel Method Matters: Factor in the time required for traveling between your hotels. Flights will obviously be faster for longer distances, but trains or even scenic road trips can be part of the adventure if the time allows.
2. Booking in Advance, Especially During Peak Seasons
Availability and Price: Popular hotels in high-demand destinations can get booked up quickly, particularly during peak seasons or around major holidays and festivals. Proactive booking secures your preferred accommodations and often yields better rates.
Last-Minute Deals? While sometimes you can snag a bargain by waiting for last-minute hotel deals on Expedia, this is a riskier strategy for multi-destination trips, especially if your itinerary involves less-touristy destinations with fewer hotel options.
3. Considering Travel Insurance for Multi-Destination Trips
Protecting Your Investment: Multi-destination trips often involve a larger financial outlay than a single destination stay. Travel insurance can protect against unexpected cancellations, trip interruptions, medical emergencies, or lost luggage.
Compare Policies: Research different travel insurance policies to find coverage that aligns with your destinations, activities, and any pre-existing health conditions.
Peace of Mind: Travel insurance provides a safety net, giving you valuable peace of mind so you can fully immerse yourself in the joys of exploration without worrying excessively about “what-ifs”.
Conclusion
Expedia may not have a one-click “multi-city” package builder, but its intuitive platform empowers you to become your own travel architect and craft the perfect multi-destination adventure.
By searching strategically and managing your individual hotel bookings within Expedia, you enjoy flexibility, access to a vast hotel inventory, and the potential for valuable bundled discounts.
FAQs
Can I add hotels to my itinerary after my initial booking?
Yes, absolutely! Expedia allows you to search for and book additional hotels at any stage, making it easy to adjust your itinerary as needed.
Can I book hotels in different countries on Expedia?
Yes! Expedia’s global reach means you can book hotels across international borders, streamlining the planning of your multi-country explorations
Does Expedia offer any customer support for multi-destination bookings?
Yes, Expedia has a dedicated customer support team available by phone, email, or online chat to help with any questions or modifications to your multi-destination bookings..
